Kerfuffle

Last year we heard just over a week later (19th December).

From what I know there are a higher percentage of British boys at the top UK upper schools than there are girls so it seems that the lack of British dancers is actually girls. This is even true of the Royal Ballet Upper School. We need to help our British girls reach their potential, there is just as much talent here as in France who have a very high percentage of home grown talent. It looks as though the shortage list might be abolished. I have noticed more British dancers are taking part in YAGP Paris this year and with greater success so maybe a greater number of girls will start to be taken seriously on the international circuit. I agree with @Peanut68 that being in the corps must be very hard after all the glory and attention of winning a competition. Makes me wonder how companies in the future will look if the individuals don’t have the humility to work in a team. Julie Joyner in her interview mentioned being a “ballet star” upon joining the Royal Ballet!

Ah well could be fun to try it out! I think at the advanced level there are fewer differences.

I wouldn’t get put off by the fact that there is a school for children attached to Bristol Russian Ballet School. There is a weekly class at an advanced level, one of the dancers is an ex principal of ENB. Chika and Yury were both principals in Russia and are also involved in directing productions for ballet companies in the U.K. some of their recent students are training at top schools in the U.K., parts of Europe and Russia. I think if you’ve done classes at Danceworks especially with the Russian teachers you will find the style very similar. They are lovely people too! Depending on your age you could ask them if you can join the advanced classes with the older students too. They are 4 times a week.

I have heard that it’s very good from parents whose children were also on a RBS SA course in Leeds, some of whom did both and got places at top 16+ upper schools. If you have the option of good local training like this I would seriously consider it as an alternative to going away as a boarder at a young age.

I agree with this, it’s a case of less is more, too many tricks! I think it’s come from Instagram and also ballet competitions. My other pet peeve is when dancers hold their legs high and hold them just to show they can, often breaking the fluidity of the dance. Some young competition dancers seem to go from trick to trick with no thought for the dancing between or the music. Obviously there are times when balances and leg holds are important but they shouldn’t be pushed into places they don’t belong.

I would guess they are used to YAGP which requires perfecting principal solos and some will have done that since they were eight years old !

No British again, I wonder why ? Is it because most serious students are already in full time training? Looks like it would be a good employment finding opportunity.

I think if you still feel like you want to perfect your technique I would go for the school that gives you plenty of attention. The fast pace can be helpful but only once you feel secure in how you’re dancing - it could do more harm than good. A teacher with a great cv will probably give you fantastic performance advice but maybe you are looking for more technical help and this is what you need right now. I don’t think you should have to be having private lessons to get any attention at all! Are you in the U.K. ?

I think your daughter is right to have not taken it to heart, Beezle and is focussing on what matters which is the dancing. Often RBS change their minds about dancers as they grow, either in favour or not but they aren’t the be all and end all of the dance world, just one option of many. I would guess that they are at their most particular at 11 because they are guessing what a child might become based on what they can see before puberty. My DD didn’t even try at that age because she thought that only JAs would get a place.

There’s a new RBS SA centre in Leeds which is really good, with a lovely teacher and taught at Yorkshire Dance. I think like most these things it depends on the individual teacher how good the associates are. I guess it’s good to have on your dance CV even if you don’t apply for or get into the RBS Upper School (which is pretty much impossible these days). My daughter enjoyed her sessions and it’s helpful to see what other dancers are like at this level as they are likely to be the same people you audition with in y11. My DD applied through video, it was straightforward ballet with some stretches and pointe work.

There is a new royal ballet senior associates in Leeds for year 10/11 with a wonderful teacher which I really recommend once your daughter is old enough. I guess she’s year 9?

I can’t speak exactly from personal experience but I do know of a few 17 year olds who have for one reason or another auditioned a second time in year 12 and are now in good vocational schools. It’s hard to keep your confidence up especially if you feel you have missed the boat, even if in reality that isn’t the case (there are several 17 year olds in my DDs first year group). One the other hand your DD might be embracing her new life in 6th form, or whatever she is doing now which is to be celebrated too, hard though it can be for a parent to adapt to, too!

There is also the argument that the arts subjects will be in greater demand than ever once AI takes over. I’m pleased to see Keir Starmer promoting creative subjects up to GCSE. He attended the junior department at Guildhall.

Very good points made by all - I too agree that it’s highly unlikely to ever be put into practice and is in any case very impractical. @Emeralds Mr Sunak obviously hasn’t tried the higher tier of the reformed GCSE maths, you are right that it is set at a very advanced level, my son told me he saw a YouTube of an MIT student shocked at how difficult it was! I find it ridiculous that those pursuing arts qualifications are assumed not to be well qualified in maths or English. I think the highest grades (7-9) in English Language are also pretty difficult to get too.

I’m wondering how Rishi Sunak expects specialist vocational sixth forms to cope with his new qualification idea (including Maths and English until 18) while also training full time in ballet and for those courses that are degrees, will he decide they are useless and get rid of them too?

Is that so for any degree or just the ones to do with health, computer science or architecture (from the list)?

Fantastic career choice - did she have to do science a levels first or was she accepted with her diploma plus GCSEs?

This is great to hear! What was the subject she studied?

I think staying at home until 16 in the U.K. and then training professionally is entirely feasible as long as the dancer is trained at a high enough standard to get into a good school. No need for “if onlys”

This topic changed about 3 pages ago and it’s a fairly natural progression to what happens next for all dancers, whether retiring or leaving before joining the profession. Thanks for sharing your son’s story @Harwel, and reminding me of the apprenticeship degree route.

However harrowing these experiences are or have been it’s not the same for everyone. Those students who decide to change routes for other reasons deserve to be told accurately what their options are. Panorama has lifted the lid on some of the real problems out there and I’m not denying that. I just wanted to know what the facts are when it comes to higher education, when my DD is ready to hang up her pointe shoes.

I agree, without negating any of the harm that has happened to some pupils in the past it’s important to stay positive, especially as a parent right now.

A fine art degree is mostly practical although with some analysis involved so I guess not that different. I imagine having practical experience would enhance what critic’s observations. I would have thought that a good set of GCSEs would be proof of academic potential alongside. Would be interested to know if anyone’s DCs have tried this route.

So does this also apply to those doing 2 years of a Dada Trinity diploma level 5 or 6? Would the best plan be to top it up to a degree and then take a sideways step into a related MA? Just thinking out loud. My brother did arts criticism MA after a fine art degree, then was a writer and curator. I guess that a dance graduate might be able to do something similar ?